16 | FORWARD JANESVILLE Looking Out For One Another NATHAN BURKART Executive Director, Janesville Performing Arts Center Forward Janesville Member, ARISENow Partner Nathan returned from Los Angeles to his hometown of Janesville in 2016 to take on the leadership role at JPAC. One of the reasons he moved home was because “it offered an opportunity to be part of something bigger. Helping ignite change in the downtown area was something I wanted to help with after visiting many times and seeing the potential it had from a larger world view.” Being on the ARISENow committee and an active member of Forward Janesville are two ways Nathan has leaned in. What is your favorite part of being an active Forward Janesville member? Being part of Forward Janesville gives JPAC the ability to stay connected to the community, allowing us to have a better understanding of what possible partners are out there to collaborate with us. It is all about making Janesville a better place to live, and being an active member of Forward Janesville helps achieve that. It keeps you updated on what other projects are going on and what people are working on to make it better. JPAC won the Diversity Award at Forward Janesville’s 2024 Awards Luncheon. What role do you see JPAC having when it comes to shaping the community? JPAC is in a unique place because it can use the arts to bridge a gap and tackle different topics that really shouldn’t be political. When it comes to providing programming, we should do whatever we can to represent the entire population that makes up Rock County, which includes making sure we are offering opportunities for new people to get engaged. The arts play into community health/wellness in two capacities: 1) To allow a fun, safe place to be active and social. When you have a hard day, it is important to have affordable entertainment options or a place where you can perform; 2) To create awareness around other important topics in the health/wellness area, such as producing plays about homelessness, mental health, addiction, and so on. Arts can be used as a bridge to talk about topics that we want to improve upon, as it creates awareness and a chance to reflect. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? When you know one thing, you see one thing. When you know a thousand things, you see a thousand things. A teacher told me this once when they were encouraging me to learn and grow from as many people as possible, because it would help me see where others are valuable and understand how they might see the world in a different lens. DONA HOHENSEE Executive Director, Foundation at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital Forward Janesville Ambassador Dona has been a Forward Janesville Ambassador for four years. When she was a child, she often came to Janesville to visit family, and when she took on her role with SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, she knew she wanted to dive in and get involved in the community. The SSM Health St. Mary’s Foundation has grown by leveraging strategic philanthropy to enhance healthcare services, including the Mary and Bob Arndt Endowment, which supports patients undergoing cancer treatment services at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Janesville. What value does being a Forward Janesville Ambassador bring to SSM? And what do you like most or get most out of being an Ambassador? Ambassadors help to highlight new businesses, promote existing ones and share information on economic Our members and volunteers are the lifeblood of Forward Janesville. They keep our Chamber of Commerce strong and thriving. Yet they are so much more than that. Whether a business or organization offering health services or an individual leaning in and providing support and encouragement, these are the folks keeping our community healthy – physically, mentally and beyond. Hear directly from three of those folks – Nathan Burkart, a leader with ARISENow and with member JPAC; Dona Hohensee, one of our Forward Janesville Ambassadors through SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital; and Andy Jones, an Ambassador with MercyCare Health Plans.
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